


To Catch Despair (or the Remnants of it)

by Oceantoast



Series: It All Falls Down [2]
Category: Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Dangan Ronpa 3: The End of 希望ヶ峰学園 | The End of Kibougamine Gakuen | End of Hope's Peak High School, Dangan Ronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc, Super Dangan Ronpa 2
Genre: Alternate Canon, Alternate Universe, Despair Era (Dangan Ronpa), Gen, Hope vs. Despair, Other, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Other Ships Not Mentioned in Tags
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-07-20
Updated: 2020-07-20
Packaged: 2021-03-04 18:08:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,035
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25410646
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Oceantoast/pseuds/Oceantoast
Summary: The 16 of them were just teenagers when they watched the world burn, now all grown up they find the ones responsible. Not for revenge but to help, unfortunately for class 77 that means not only fighting the remnants, but also the Future Foundation.
Relationships: Enoshima Junko/Kirigiri Kyoko, Kamukura Izuru & Nanami Chiaki, Kamukura Izuru/Komaeda Nagito, Komaeda Nagito & Naegi Makoto, Komaeda Nagito & Other(s), Kuzuryu Fuyuhiko/Pekoyama Peko, Saionji Hiyoko & Tsumiki Mikan, Tsumiki Mikan & Everyone
Series: It All Falls Down [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1932898
Comments: 11
Kudos: 44





	1. Part Zero

It was red...the sky was blood red, the stench of smoke and corpses carried with it. The remaining 16 students of Hope's Peak's 77th class huddled in the courtyard in front of a crumbling building. There was only one word that could be applied to such circumstances…what they were witnessing was despair. Plain and simple. Nothing else caused this sort of desperation and carnage.

  


Out of the huddle one girl stepped forward. Short and strawberry blonde she stared one more moment at the remains of both the building and nameless corpses before turning her eyes back to her terrified classmates. As scared as she was Chisa had trusted her to guide them, and she couldn't go back on her promise either.

  


"I know this is daunting and scary, but we have to go. It isn't safe to stay here."

  


"Not to butt in Chiaki," the girl with multicolored hair began, "but is anywhere safe now?"

  


Chiaki had to stop and think about that. Was there anywhere they could run? Was there any place not overwhelmed with violence and paranoia now?

  


Luckily, a friend had a better answer than she did. A mop of flowing dark hair stepped calmy away from the white haired boy clinging to him. Red eyes never swayed from the remains of the only thing that had felt like home to much of the class.

  


A voice calm and measured pierced the tense smog. "If there's nowhere safe we'll simply have to create somewhere safe."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi! This is my first fic rewriting nearly a whole series! In case it wasn't obvious in this au the biggest differences are that Izuru (who is still Hajime, or was previously him) is in class 77, and the remnants are now class 78. Just thought I'd clarify since my tags haven't been working the best! ☺


	2. The Curtain Falls on a Rest

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Hiyoko has a dance with despair

Hiyoko had complained about nearly everything else about despair.

She complained about the red sky, much preferring the blue hue that her island home had. She complained about the corpses, unable to keep herself from thinking how those inanimate bodies used to be friends, lovers, grandmothers and fathers; either to each other or those still living. She complained about the atrocious black and white bear masks the future corpses wore to commit the acts Junko and her friends aided and encouraged. If there was pollution, destruction, or misery she would find some way to comment on it. And yet….

Faced with a perfect thing to gripe about, she couldn't be bothered to find Ibuki, or even one of the faceless crewmembers they had been travelling with, courtesy of Izuru sending her and Ibuki to detain one of the Remnants.

The full length mirror she was currently using to model her kimono was cracked where her face was reflected. She might be able to mistake her face for a cracking porcelain mask were she not so focused on the silver kimono. The way it shimmered reminded Hiyoko of a waterfall, the black sash tying the look together.

Perhaps after detaining the pop star she would be allowed to show it off at home. Either way she was most certainly keeping it.

She may have hung around if she were able to study the makeup that was sort of making her eyes itch or the hair she could feel pulled into a bun.

Instead she simply left the room, the reflection of the door splintered in the full mirror as she closed it. In the hallway she was met by the only familiar face she had seen in weeks.

The girl in question was wearing fishnet tights under a tattered black skirt, as well as a relatively unremarkable white tank top.

"Well look at you! All dolled up, Hiyoko!"

Hiyoko had half a mind to snark back, but Ibuki probably wouldn't even take it as an insult. The girl was both peppy and ever so slightly airheaded, which was entertaining in measured quantities. Not that Hiyoko would ever say such a thing out loud.

"Whatever, let's just get the Remnant and get out of this shithole," Hiyoko finally shrugged.

Ibuki nodded, tilting her head before walking off in that very same direction. Hiyoko didn't even need to think before matching her pace either. Their walk wasn't long enough to warrant conversation, and Hiyoko was okay with that. Especially once she felt the warmth of the spotlights, taking her place on the stage.

That being said it didn't take long for the owner of the spotlight to find her center stage either.

Sayaka Maizono, Ultimate Pop Sensation and the Remnant of Despair that Hiyoko and her partner had been following. The most noticeable thing about her was her blue ponytail, held up by a hair tie with yet another one of those god awful bears. Three sections of bouncy loops excluded. The other noticeable thing was the microphone resting on her cheek that seemingly originated from the bear.

As she began to sing her gloved hands, a white fingerless glove on the left and a black elbow length one on the right, rose to rest on her red tie. Hiyoko couldn't help but notice her singing voice, her talent was more than just a title.

The silver and gold chains draped across the inverted black and white bear pattern began to bounce as her dancing picked up, the instrumentals seeming to follow her lead. Her red boots only touched the ground if you were paying attention and the black and red tailcoat on her three-quarters of a skirt seemed to swish like a fox tail with her energetic moving

Of course, now was no time to get lost in the jealousy of another girl's looks. Especially not a Remnant of Despair. Hiyoko followed her dance patterns to a T as she snuck out of her spot in the backdrop, creeping to the spotlight like a moth fluttered to flames. Just like that, Sayaka's solo performance transformed into a duo.

A pair of handcuffs jingled together as they slipped from Hiyoko's sash. She followed careful steps forward, not wanting to alert the despair infected audience that this was indeed not an act. Sayaka seemed to want the same, ebbing backward as Hiyoko leaned forward. This pattern continued for some time until Sayaka gave Hiyoko a window of opportunity.

Taking Hiyoko's free hand, Sayaka gently spun the girl around. Right before she let go, Hiyoko clipped the handcuff onto one wrist, the other quickly following suit before their tango of tension had the chance to continue.

As that silky voice came to a halt it quickly became obvious that Hiyoko was an outsider, an infiltrator. It took no less than perhaps five seconds for the crowd to start tripping over itself and trampling over each other to save their beloved idol. Lucky for Hiyoko it only took four seconds for Ibuki to swing into action.

Quite literally, seeing as how she swung her guitar at the clamoring mob. That being said no one girl can handle a whole army on her own, so they made a break for it. Ibuki clearing out a path, with Hiyoko making sure Sayaka wouldn't slip through their grasp.

To the relief of both girls, it didn't take long for them to put the stadium behind them.

~

As much as Hiyoko had liked her silver kimono and the cracked mirror that had made it easier to focus on, she had to admit it was much nicer to study her orange kimono at home in her intact mirror. There was hope in normalcy, routine being something she was perfectly happy with.

That being said, routine was something relative with their line of work and such a point would be driven home by her first return back to HQ on the central island. There she bumped into none other than Izuru Kamukura and Nagito Komaeda on their way out.

"Where are you two going?" She inquired with a fake scoff in her tone.

"We located the whereabouts of Junko Enoshima and her sister. Don't worry, we'll be back before you know it."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaa Im so glad to finally get this chapter out! Im really proud of it since I worked so hard though! I love Hiyoko but writing her was a big challenge for me, and my sense of pride in this chapter makes me really excited and confident about writing some of the other characters and I hope you guys are as excited to see new updates as I am to write them! 💙


	3. Warrior's honor

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Peko and Sakura get into a fight

Dust hadn't even picked up yet and the atmosphere could already be akin to it settling. Some of the most fearsome warriors the world had ever housed were here now, facing each other in the form of Sakura Ogami, Ultimate Martial Artist and more important a Remnant of Despair; as well as her opponent, Ultimate Swordsman Peko Pekoyama 

The road only stretched a few miles between them and yet anyone might compare it to universes as Peko's friends stepped forward.

She could hear a sharp, irritated, "the fuck are you doing Peko?" As she raised her arm to signal them back. 

Red eyes shifted to the edge of her glasses to stare at her childhood friend, Fuyuhiko Kuzuryu. Her answer was known, calm and measured as she spoke.

"Let me do this alone please. It's the honorable thing to do." 

She could note the hesitant look on his face before then made a jarring swing at the air. "Fuck. Okay, but if it gets too tough I'm sending in Akane and Gundham, okay?" 

Peko nodded before turning her attention back to the Remnant. The unsheathing of her bamboo sword making for the silent indicator that the fight had truly begun. 

With no further warning Peko lunged forward, swinging her sword only to be met with a fist catching it. Violence became the only language it seemed the two could speak, and they spoke it fluently. Every swipe and thrust of her sword was parried by fists alone but Peko was nothing if not determined. 

Suddenly the rhythm of the fight was changed as white hair flung into a grizzly face at the fault of a punch. Peko gripped both ends of her bamboo sword to block it. Now on the defensive they went at it yet again. 

That was until a decisive noise, akin to a thunder clap, shook the very foundation of the ground they were standing upon...or so it seemed. 

The bamboo sword had shattered under Sakura's hands. Peko was left fighting a totally defensive battle, left to rely on her agility to dodge Sakura's fists. 

The first blow to hit her was in the shoulder and Sakura wasted no time in knocking the wind out of her with a follow up hit to the stomach. Peko toppled over and she had there was where it would end. 

However, warrior's honor would only go so far with the Remnants when Sakura lifted her up by the throat and began to squeeze. Peko's legs kicked uselessly at the air around her as she attempted to claw her way out of the martial artist's grasp. 

Her vision was beginning to blur when she heard Fuyuhiko shout something. She couldn't be sure what it was until she saw Akane and kick the Remnant, causing her to be dropped. 

The other final thing she took note of was Fuyuhiko's arms around her before she let her eyes roll in the back of her head.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was a struggle to write for me, but Im pretty okay with the way it turned out! Im most excited to share the next chapter with you guys!


	4. We'll meet again

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Izuru and Nagito return to Hope's Peak Academy and find Junko and her sister waiting for them.

"Are you sure she's still here?" 

Deep down Nagito knew the answer was yes. When was Kamukura ever unsure about anything? 

However, that didn't mean Nagito liked it. It had been bad enough to be there to witness the fall of the academy… But to face those memories and the further desecration brought by her and her Remnants….

Nagito took a deep breath. Home was never directly Hope's Peak. The building was just brick and the crumbling of it was inconsequential. 

That being said, the rotten smell from lingering faculty corpses in the halls of such a symbolic place was still awfully depressing. Not to mention the further memories it invited. 

Izuru seemed to realize, because somehow he always does; even when Nagito thinks he's hiding his feelings.

"Yukizome isn't here," Izuru says. "I can't prove it to you now, but I know she isn't." 

Nagito nodded, repeating the action once more. "She's not here." He tries to speak the thought into existence. Even then he can't truly convince himself. 

Izuru seemed to deem it a waste of time to try and further convince Nagito because the next thing he said was; "we should split up to cover more ground." 

Although Nagito would love to disagree, all he could do was nod. Izuru was right since not only was it a large school, they weren't only searching for the Ultimate Despair but her sister as well. "I'll search the bottom two floors and you can scan the top three then," he decided. Izuru wouldn't want him climbing too many stairs with his health after all. 

Izuru nodded and left for the stairwell, leaving Nagito to investigate the first floor on his own. 

His gray eyes turned back to the corpses and blood-splattered walls. The place was so large Nagito doubted they would find Junko anyhow, and his lonely footsteps echoing in the halls seemed only to further confirm that fact. He had no clue where anyone would even hide in such a place. 

Leaving the dorms and classrooms alone he checked the first obvious place off his list. 

Of course, that also meant nearly choking on how dusty it was in the A/V room. The lighting was dim as he stepped inside, pale fingers brushing along the dust-covered video players. It would seem there was no hidden despair here. 

Closing the door behind him, Nagito moved on to the next possible location. School store. His footsteps once again echoed lonely throughout the building, until they were interrupted by the door creaking. 

"Talk about overstocked," he hummed as he noticed how cluttered the place it was. Seriously who put this stuff here, somebody's grandma? He clambered over the counter to start haphazardly tossing items on the floor in the hopes that one might lead to a secret room. 

No such luck there either. Nor was there any better luck in scanning the nurse's office and the gym. 

That being said there was a whole other floor to check…. If he even got to finish it. He was only surfing through the books in the library before the speakers clicked on, drenching the former academy. Her request made his blood run cold. 

"Nagito Komaeda to the headmaster's office please." 

Nagito didn't have time to think of anything more than a prayer to every god he didn't believe in that Izuru would be alright. The book he was holding thumped onto the floor, and he was long-headed for the stairs before it even did. His adrenaline rush sent him up the four flights of stairs all the way to the headmaster's office. 

His breath caught in his lungs as he carefully opened the door in case of traps that may lie waiting. However, nothing could have prepared him for what truly greeted him. 

While the door swung shut with a bang, the sinister clapping of hands was a much louder, more ominous sound.

"There you are! I'm so glad you didn't take too long!" 

Nagito dared not utter even so much as a mumble in response. He was more concerned with what she had planned. There had to be something, she would never allow Izuru and himself to simply waltz in here and take her and her twin without a scene. 

"Geez, tough crowd," she complained. 

"What do you want?" Nagito finally snapped. 

She giggled like there was some sort of inside joke that only she understood. The sound made Nagito hold back a groan. 

"I mean isn't it obvious? I couldn't let you and emo Rapunzel strut right in here and snatch me and MuMu! Instead I think a much better end to this would be for my sister and me to finish up the red paint on the academy's walls, don't you?" 

Nagito felt his blood freeze in his veins. 

This was a trap. 

This was a trap that despite Izuru's best intuition they had fallen right into. 

"You're not gonna lay-" Nagito was unable to finish his thought as he stepped forward and was cut off by a loud click. Everything seemed to come to halt around him and yet whatever came next happened so quick he wasn't able to process it right away. 

An axe had swung from the wall and presumably missed seeing as how it was now stuck in a portrait. 

There was an arm leaving his waist. 

And most importantly there was a pain in his arm and a scream in his ears. 

His scream was in his ears. 

His scream? 

Gray eyes hesitated downward before a look of pure shock overtook them. A gnarled mess of muscle blood and bone opened up where his left hand should be instead. Forcing back the taste of his own lunch he clamped his sleeve over the wound to at least  _ try _ to stop the blood flow. 

Leaving his right arm over the wound his attention was directed to the noise of the other door kicking open. What the wood revealed was none other than Mukuro Ikusaba. 

"Took you long enough!" Attention directed back to Enoshima, Nagito now noticed Izuru was fighting with her. 

"Well I'm  _ so-orry  _ you didn't have the situation under control for all that boasting!" Mukuro sassed back. 

"Yeah yeah, I screwed up I know! Now would you like to keep barking or lend a hand so we can get the hell out of here?"

From the fog growing in his brain and his vision, Nagito watches as Mukuro makes a swift, nearly incomprehensible path. It's almost as if Enoshima had given a command to a dog, Nagito thinks. However time freezes once again as Mukuro lowers the knife into a slashing position. 

The fog clears for just a moment and Nagito can't be sure he's running on more than adrenaline and instinct when he throws himself in front of Izuru. 

Small blurs of red make a motion in front of his vision and he sways for just a moment before collapsing into Izuru's arms. 

Strawberry blonde bounces to laughter. 

"Not exactly what I had in mind but hell- this might work out better! Wish I could stick around to watch the despair but my sister and I have places to be. Toodles!"

Strawberry blonde bounces out the door and a blur of pale against the dark walls of the ruined building follows. Nagito turns his eyes up to see what he guesses is a look of panic in Izuru's eyes. He can't really tell, but he forces a small smile anyway before his vision fades out. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took a while to get out despite the fact that I've been drafting for months due to perfectionism, that I'm working on, and quarantine leaving me with a complete lack of ideas and I hope my next couple chapters can get uploaded faster!


End file.
